It’s been a constant source of frustration among fans in recent years, but do Arsenal still lack character?
Two-time Premier League champion Robert Pires has told Sky Sports that Arsenal need more natural leaders in their squad to help them end their long wait for a top flight title this season – but went on to suggest that Francis Coquelin could grow into the role.
Arsene Wenger has gone thirteen long years without a Premier League crown, with bonafide world class players such as Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas coming and going in between and failing to bring an end to the hoodoo.
However, while previous Arsenal sides have been characterised by their youth and relative inexperience on the main stage, the current crop possess an array of titles between them, from La Liga crowns earned by Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to Petr Cech’s trophy laden era at Chelsea via World Cup winning medals bestowed to Per Mertesacker and Shkodran Mustafi.
However, Cech is the only member of Arsenal’s squad to have lifted the Premier League trophy, a far cry from the previous squads which consisted of qualified top flight veterans such as Patrick Vieira, Tony Adams and Ray Parlour, something Pires says could count against The Gunners in the business end of the season.
“I think when you see the name of the players at Arsenal, you can say: ‘This team can win the title at the end of the season,’” the former French international told Sky Sports. “Because you have Ozil, Sanchez, [Santi] Cazorla and [Laurent] Koscielny (below).
“I think all the players have won some titles with their country or the national team, so this is very good for Wenger and the club because they can put this experience in the team.
“[But] maybe we need more character, like from my time with Patrick Vieira or Tony Adams. It is very difficult as normally this is natural, like Adams, Ray Parlour, Lee Dixon, Vieira or Thierry Henry.”
However, Pires believes that Coquelin, a feisty midfield grappler who has often frustrated Arsenal fans with his propensity for picking up naïve bookings, possesses the character to make a difference in the title race.
“When I see the guys – maybe Coquelin – they have a very good character and spirit like English players. But maybe we need more players like Coquelin.”
When he surprisingly broke into the first team in the latter stages of the 2014/15 season, the former French under-21 snarler had a huge impact on performances due to his tenacity and steel in midfield – something Arsenal had badly lacked in seasons gone by.
His influence his waned slightly thereafter, however, with his needless red card in the North London derby draw with Tottenham in February casting doubt on his temperament.
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